Emulating Don McNeill in 1940 Frederick Rudolph "Ted" Schroeder of Stanford became in 1942 only the second player to win the U.S. Intercollegiate and the U.S. singles in the same year. A standout big-situation competitor--especially in Davis Cup--volleying wizard Schroeder, along with his pal, John Kramer, recovered the Cup for the U.S. in 1946 after it had spent seven years in Australia during World War II.

Their teammates, Gar Mulloy and Frank Parker, weren't happy when Captain Walter Pate selected attack-minded Kramer and Schroeder to play all the way against the favored Aussies in Melbourne. But Schroeder led off by stopping John Bromwich, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 0-6, 6-3, and the 5-0 sweep was on. A daring right-hander, Ted helped the U.S. keep the Cup in 1947-48-49 by winning both his singles against Australia each year.

But he was beaten by both Frank Sedgman and Ken McGregor as the Aussies lifted the Cup in 1950, and though he tied the 1951 finale at Sydney at 2-2 by beating Mervyn Rose, the U.S. was tipped, 3-2, and he retired. A part-time player, taking vacations from business to compete, Ted rose to his peak in 1949 when he won Wimbledon the only time he entered. That year Ted not only captured the title with his daring volleying, but he also captivated London with his personality as an outgoing, straightforward Yank smoking a corn-cob pipe. He was known admiringly as "Lucky Ted" for his five-set escapes, four of them, starting with an old antagonist Gar Mulloy in the first round, 3-6, 9-11, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5, and ending with Jaroslav Drobny in the final, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. The last three went the distance--the only such run other than Henri Cochet's in 1927--and he appeared truly lost in the quarters against Sedgman, 3-6, 6-8, 6-3, 6-2, 9-7. Sedg held two match points against serve, one each at 4-5 and 5-6. Ted wriggled free with serve and-volley--but on a second serve (having foot-faulted on the first), the volley off the frame! The second was a backhand passer. He was also behind Eric Sturgess in the semis, 3-6, 7-5, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2. Ted's 29 sets and four five-set matches outdid any other champ in that respect.

Seven years after winning Forest Hills, he reappeared in the U.S. final and seemed the winner after taking the first two sets from Pancho Gonzalez, but faded, 16-18, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. He and Kramer formed one of the great doubles teams, winning the U.S. title thrice, 1940, 1941 and 1947. He refused several offers to join Kramer as a pro. A Californian, he was born July 20, 1921, in Newark, NJ, and was ranked in the U.S. Top Ten nine times between 1940 and 1951, No. 1 in 1942. He was in the World Top Ten six straight times from 1946, No. 2 the first four years. He served in the U.S. Naval Air Force in World War II and entered the Hall of Fame in 1966. His son, John Schroeder, was an accomplished professional golfer.